There is a contrast between our first reading and the gospel. In the first reading (Genesis 18:1–15) Abraham is praised for his generous hospitality to the three visitors who are often interpreted as angels or a theophany of God. In the gospel (Luke 10:38–42), Martha is busy serving Jesus but is gently corrected for being “anxious and worried” rather than sitting and listening to the Lord like Mary. It might raise the question: why is Abraham’s activity in service to the guests rewarded while Martha’s service to the guests is gently admonished? Let’s explore that question.

Abraham’s hospitality is framed as a model of ancient Near Eastern virtue. He rushes to provide water, organize bread, meat, and rest — crucial life-saving gestures in a desert setting. That is what Abraham offers. Did the visitors offer anything other than their presence? Yes, in the end they offer the divine promise of a son in response to that hospitality. The reading underscores the virtue of hospitality as a means to encounter God – and in the encounter to enter more deeply into the covenant promises and so step on the path to completeness.